The verdict in three sentences
A box plant that takes 48 hours to return a quote loses urgent orders to competitors who answer the same day. Custom quoting and scheduling software, built on your own board width, trim and machine speed rules, brings that down to 2 hours and can be delivered in 5 to 7 months. Against a specialist packaging ERP at EUR 60,000 to 150,000, a Kolonell build sits in the complex application band, 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+), with the rest set in the quote.
Why manual quoting is expensive
In a 90-employee converting plant, two estimators handle about 300 requests a month: regular slotted cases, die-cut boxes, displays and flexo-printed packaging. Each quote means choosing the board grade (flute, basis weight), computing the blank size, imposition on the sheet width, trim waste, make-ready and run times on each machine, then adding tooling (cutting die, printing plates) and freight. All of it in a legacy spreadsheet, with board prices that moved three times in a year.
The numbers show it: 48-hour average turnaround, a hit rate around 25 %, and actual margins sometimes 3 to 5 points below quoted margin because make-ready times are unrealistic.
| Metric | Today | Target with the tool |
|---|---|---|
| Quote turnaround | 48 hours | 2 hours |
| Estimating time per quote | 1.5 hours | 20 minutes |
| Hit rate | 25 % | 30 % |
| Board trim waste | 9 % | 7 % |
| Quoted vs actual margin gap | 3 to 5 points | under 1 point |
| Weekly machine rescheduling | 6 hours | 1 hour |
What the software does
The quoting module starts from a product sheet (FEFCO style, internal dimensions, grade, print, quantity) and computes blank size, best imposition across available sheet widths, trim rate, make-ready and run time per machine, then price by quantity break. Pricing rules (machine hourly cost, board price per grade, target margin per customer) can be changed by management without a developer.
The scheduling module turns accepted quotes into work orders and places them on the 6 machines: corrugator or sheet intake, printer-slotter, flatbed die-cutter, rotary die-cutter, folder-gluer and strapping line. It groups jobs by grade and size to cut make-readies, flags date conflicts and shows a drag-and-drop plan. A customer portal lets buyers track orders and reorder in one click.
| Option | Indicative 2026 cost | Rollout time | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improved spreadsheet | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 consulting | 1 month | under 100 quotes a month |
| Specialist packaging ERP | EUR 60,000 to 150,000, plus 15 to 20 % yearly maintenance | 9 to 18 months | 200+ staff, multi-plant |
| Quoting SaaS module | EUR 500 to 1,500 per month | 2 to 3 months | quoting only, no scheduling |
| Kolonell medium application | 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670) | 3 to 4 months | custom quoting only |
| Kolonell complex application | 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+) | 5 to 7 months | quoting, scheduling and portal |
| Kolonell maintenance | 35,000, 75,000 or 120,000 FCFA per month (EUR 53, 114 or 183) | ongoing | pricing rule changes |
Vendor figures are 2026 orders of magnitude observed in Western Europe.
Integrations and rollout
The software connects to the existing business ERP (invoicing, accounting) via API or file exchange, and can read machine counters where machines expose data. Typical rollout: 4 weeks of scoping and rule collection, with 50 historical quotes as a test set; quoting built in months 2 and 3, validated until the gap with estimators is under 2 %; scheduling in months 4 and 5; customer portal and ERP link in month 6; 4 weeks of parallel running before cutover.
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Mark, operations director at a 90-employee corrugated plant, counts three gains. Estimating time: 300 quotes falling from 1.5 hours to 20 minutes frees 350 hours a month. Waste: 2 points less on EUR 3,000,000 of yearly board purchases saves EUR 60,000. Sales: 5 more points of hit rate on 300 quotes gives 15 orders a month at EUR 4,000 and 20 % margin, about EUR 144,000 of extra yearly margin. Even at the top of the complex band with maintenance at EUR 183 a month, the investment is covered in under two months of gains.
FAQ
Does the software replace our ERP?
No, it complements your invoicing ERP by handling quoting and scheduling, which generic ERPs do poorly. Data is exchanged by API or files, for example every 15 minutes.
How do we know the computed price is right?
We replay 50 historical quotes and tune the rules until the gap with experienced estimators is under 2 %. After go-live, comparing quoted and actual times recalibrates speeds every month.
Can sales reps quote on their own?
Yes, for standard products, about 60 to 70 % of requests, with floor margins locked. Special jobs still go through an estimator.
Does the schedule handle rush orders?
Yes, a rush job can be inserted and the tool immediately shows shifted jobs and affected delivery dates. Rescheduling drops from 6 hours to about 1 hour per week.
Why 5 to 7 months?
Quoting requires formalising rules that are often tacit, and scheduling must be tested over several weeks of real production. Quoting alone can ship in 3 to 4 months.
Let's scope your project. Send us three typical quotes and your machine list and we will scope quoting, scheduling and a 5 to 7 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
